Education fund for single mothers and their children
Turning every page into a new beginning.
We're raising money for education grants, school supplies and training for single mothers and their children, so education stays an open door rather than a closed book.
Be a founding donor
We're just getting started. Every donation goes toward our first round of education grants.
Join our TikTok community
Tune in to our TikTok Live streams, where we share updates on the project, celebrate the milestones of the mothers and children we support, and report openly on how donations are used.
Who we are
In Karamoja, too many mothers raise their children alone, and too many girls are married off before they can finish school.
Karamoja, in the dry north-east of Uganda, is the country's poorest region. More than half its people live in deep poverty, twice the national rate. Fewer than one in four women and girls can read, in a country where three in four people can.
Polygamy, cattle raids and abandonment leave many women to bring up their children on their own; the Daily Monitor reports that about seven in ten households there are headed by women. Kelementina Aleper was married off before she finished primary school. When her husband left, she kept her two children fed by selling vegetables and crushing stones in a quarry.
In 2020, a 15-year-old Pokot girl, whom UNICEF calls Agnes, ran from home with six other girls and hid at a police station rather than be cut and married off for a bride price. She went back to school and dreams of becoming a teacher. Not every girl gets away. In 2025, in Nakapiripirit, 14-year-old Margaret was taken out of class and married to a man of 34.
“School is the only place where, as a girl, you can feel safe.”
For too long these girls have been neglected and forgotten, left out of the headlines, the budgets and the classrooms. That is why a group of friends, among them Francis Musiime, started The Open Book Project: to help single mothers and vulnerable children in Karamoja, especially girls, get the education they deserve. One grant, one family, one open book at a time.
A private endeavour, not a charity
The Open Book Project is a private initiative, not a registered charity. Francis has been doing this work as a private philanthropist, paying for it out of his own pocket. To reach more families, he decided to invite well-wishers to join in. Every donation goes to the same cause: education for the families who need it most.
Stories and figures from UNICEF Uganda, the Daily Monitor (2024 and 2025), The Observer, Tufts University and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. The people named here are not recipients of our grants.
How it works
You donate by PayPal or bank transfer.
Mothers apply and we read every application personally.
Grants pay for education, such as school supplies, course fees and training.
Major donors receive periodic email updates on the families their support is helping.
What your donation funds
Grants go to three areas, so both mothers and children can keep learning.
Learning support for children
Textbooks, laptops, tutoring and after-school grants, so children don't fall behind because of money.
Vocational grants for mothers
Help with fees for college, vocational training or certification courses that lead to steady work.
Community and mentorship
A support network where families get guidance, encouragement and practical help from people who understand their situation.
Be part of the next chapter.
Give by PayPal or bank transfer. Every euro goes toward education grants for families.
Please note: The Open Book Project is a private initiative, not a registered charity. Donations are received into Francis Musiime's personal accounts and used for the project's education grants. We can't issue tax-deductible donation receipts.
Download our poster (PDF)Donate with PayPal
Quick and secure, in euros. Choose an amount.
For example, €50 could cover
A school supply kit
Textbooks and a backpack for a child for the school term.
This opens PayPal with the amount filled in, ready for you to confirm.
Prefer to send by email in the PayPal app? Send to:
jmuhwezi21@gmail.com
Donate by bank transfer
SEPA and international transfers in euros. Please use the reference "Open Book Donation".
- Account holder
- Francis Musiime
- IBAN
- IE80 REVO 9903 6032 1992 22
- BIC / SWIFT
- REVOIE23
- Bank
- Revolut Bank UAB, 2 Dublin Landings, North Dock, Dublin 1, D01 V4A3, Ireland
- Correspondent BIC
- CHASDEFX
Only needed for transfers from outside the SEPA area.
For mothers and guardians
Apply for an education grant
Who can apply
Anyone can apply, and we don't turn anyone away. Our aim is to help as many vulnerable children as we can across Uganda, especially in Karamoja.
What happens next
We read every application and process it as soon as possible, subject to available funding. We reply by email and may ask for more information before deciding.